Home expansion renovation

This villa renovation in Devonport, Auckland, involved excavating under the existing house to create a new basement featuring a bedroom, ensuite and laundry. The location of the basement, which sits 1.5m below the nearest existing sewer connection, meant it was not possible to rely on traditional gravity drainage. To overcome this challenge, a Sanicubic 1 WP lifting station was specified to ensure wastewater could be effectively pumped to the sewer connection above.

Designer Donn Roberts needed to find a solution that would effectively and efficiently discharge wastewater from multiple plumbing fixtures — a toilet, shower and sink in the ensuite, plus the washing machine and tub in the laundry — up to the nearest drain connection. Having used Saniflo systems in the past, he approached them to find the right solution for the project. 

SFA Pumps recommended the Sanicubic 1 WP lifting station — an efficient higher-capacity waste pump solution. The system was specified to provide an all-in-one pump solution to handle the wastewater requirements from the bathroom and laundry plumbing fixtures, and discharge the wastewater via a small 40mm discharge pipe up to the nearest drain connection. 

“Saniplus, which I have used multiple times, has a capacity that was too small for this project.” explains Donn. “Instead, Sanicubic was specified as it could handle the bathroom and laundry fittings specified to the basement.” 

The Sanicubic 1 waste pump is a durable wastewater lifting station, designed to take waste from multiple fixtures. The unit, which can pump up to 11m in height, features a powerful 1500W motor, a high flow rate performance and an IP68 waterproof rating. The unit itself can be installed remotely up to 6m from the WC, allowing for greater design flexibility. The system comes fully packaged with a high-level alarm and non-return valve. 

Project builder Ron Cullen of Eye Catching Building had not worked with the Sanicubic waste pump system before. He says installation was straightforward, and the system worked well for the project. 

“It was the only way we could get rid of the wastewater, because we were below the ground, so we had to pump it up,” explains Ron. “Installation was pretty good. Once we read everything and understood how it went, it all came together pretty well.”

Ultimately, the Sanicubic waste pump was an effective choice for managing wastewater and ensuring the clients can take full advantage of their new basement area. 

“The client is stoked,” says Ron. “The project came together well, and the client is very happy.”